Little Bird
by Lariren-Shadow
Summary: Korra helps Tahno pick out a pet. Tahnorra.


**A/N**: Tahnorra fic? Tahnorra fic. Pretty much off a picture I saw on tumblr (mine is lariren-shadow). I'm not sure about how I wrote Tahno.

**Disclaimer**: Don't own.

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Korra strolled through the streets of Republic City making her way back to the docks to return to Air Temple Island. Tarrlok's task force meetings were monotonous but at least they got her off the Island. She knew the city wasn't safe since the attack on the arena but she was taking precautions. She didn't ride Naga and she wore a plain coat and hat, she looked like everyone else. She did refuse an escort because, well, that would draw more attention than not.

She didn't expect to see Tahno looking in the window of a pet store. He didn't look any better than he did when she saw him at police headquarters. He may have cheated but she hated seeing him so defeated.

"Hey Tahno," she greeted him cheerfully.

"Hi Uh-vatar." She glared at him. "What, scared of an attack in public?"

"No but I do have a name."

He sighed. "Of course you do, Korra."

"That's better. What are you doing?"

"What does it look like?"

"Like you're staring at a window."

"Well played."

"Thank you. So?"

"The most recent healer I went to suggested I get a pet, for company not to help with my bending."

"I don't mean to pry but it seemed like you had a girlfriend or two."

"Fans not girlfriends. There's a big difference, apparently."

"I'm sorry. You know what, why don't I help you pick one out!"

"You want to help me pick out a pet?"

"Sure, I mean, I'm the only person to have a polar-bear-dog as a pet. I think I know a thing or two about animals."

"That thing is not a pet."

"Well she's my friend too. You just don't like her because she scared you."

"She didn't scare me!" He yelled and the people on the street stopped to look at the two of them.

"Ok, ok, she didn't scare you. She startled you, is that better?" She asked with false sweetness.

He almost smiled. "That is better, and yes, I think I would like some help. I'm not sure what to get."

"Let's see what they have," she told him as she hocked her arm through his and steered him into the shop.

"You're very forceful, aren't you?"

She smiled at him. "You just have to deal with it."

"What are you looking for, really?" She asked as they stood just to the left of the doorway.

"A pet," was his curt reply.

"A pet that requires a lot of care and attention or one that does its own thing?"

"When did you become an expert on pets? Part of your training?"

"No. Jinora's preparing for taking care of her own sky bison and is reading books on pets and sharing what she's learned at dinner."

"Sometimes I forget that you don't live in the City," he admitted.

"Where else would I live?" She asked.

"You don't want to know what I originally thought," he whispered into her ear. She stiffened and coughed.

"I really don't think I do. So pets," she distracted herself by looking around at the selection. The back corner held what looked like fish tanks and Korra knew those were out of the question. She didn't want to give Tahno a constant reminder that he couldn't bend anymore. There were iguana-frogs and gecko-snakes (_rather fitting for him_, she thought) in the other corner, kittens and armadillo-puppies up front, and a cage of sparrowkeets in all different colors by the register. "How about a gecko-snake?"

"The point of this was to give me a friend. Something scaly doesn't say friend to me."

"I thought it would be appropriate."

He smiled again. She kind of liked his smile. "A kitten then? Maybe some kind of puppy-"

"No puppies of any kind. They're smelly and chew everything."

"Naga never chewed anything."

"I highly doubt that, uh-vatar."

"Fine only a few dolls and they weren't that important," she pouted.

She watched Tahno move closer to the kittens, look at them, huff and move away. _So much for those_. He moved, glided really, over to the birdcage. "I liked birds as a kid. I wanted one but my parents didn't think of birds as pets. They were meant to be free, they said." She wasn't sure what to say. The South Pole had penguins. She hadn't really seen birds till she came here. They were just…birds. "I'm getting a bird," he said sternly.

She moved to stand beside him, looking at the dozen or so chirping birds. "A sparrowkeet it is. Which one are you going to get? That green one with the half yellow wings looks pretty-"

"The little blue one in the corner."

"Excellent choice, sir," the clerk interrupted. "Would you like to have his wings clipped?"

Korra watched Tahno's face harden into a look she'd only seen in the arena. "No I wouldn't," he began with a deathly calm. "He's meant to fly so why should I decide if he can or can't? They're a part of him and he has as much right to them as you or I do to breathe!"

Korra didn't really know what to say other than _this isn't about the bird, you idiot_ but she didn't think that would be the best response. Instead she said "let's go look at cages," while grabbing his arm and jerking him away from the birds.

"He doesn't need a cage."

"Yes, he does. Where else is he going to sleep and have his food? He needs a cage. And food, let's get his food too." They picked out the biggest cage for the bird. Tahno carried it to the front while Korra carried the food and the few toys she convinced him were needed (and not the ones she thought were stupid).

"I have him all boxed and ready to go, sir," the clerk told them holding out the small cardboard carrying cage.

"Thank you and we'll take these too," Korra held up the food and gestured to the cage.

"Another excellent choice again." After a little rearranging, so Tahno could carry the bird and food while Korra took over carrying the cage, he paid the bill, pulling out more yuans than Korra had ever seen and taking some bills off the stack. "Do you have a name in mind?" The clerk asked.

"Batty," Tahno drawled. Korra tried really hard not to snicker.

"Well I hope you and your girlfriend like him very much."

She was about to protest when she saw Tahno looking through the small holes in the side of the box at the bird. He was smiling and talking softly to the box. "I'm sure we will."

She let him lead the way to his apartment, which was as nice as she expected it to be. She helped him set up the cage complete with toys and lined with newspaper clippings about Amon.

"There you go, Batty, settle into your new home," Tahno told the bird as he slightly shock the travel cage to get the bird to move into the larger one. Batty hopped onto the bottom of the cage, looked around, and began climbing the railing to get to a perch. Once settle he began chirping nonstop. "He likes it."

"So Batty?" Korra asked as she watched both bird and owner.

"You have a problem with that?"

"Me, no, not at all. It's just a little unoriginal."

He chuckled. "Maybe you should come visit him sometime. He can give you airbending lessons."

Korra fumed at the smirk on his face. "I don't need lessons from a bird," she muttered.

"Just offering since we never got our private lessons." She had nothing to say to that. It seemed the bird was just what Tahno needed.

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